Electric gas-lighter.



PATENTED DEC.1'7, 1907. J. DIGKENE. f ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2,1997.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 874,357. v f PATENTE-ID DEG. 17, 1907..

A i J. DIGKBNS.

r`IEILC'IRIG GAS LIGHTER. v

Arrmonrox Hum un. 2, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'Y Mezzi@ y i JaZzbe/w".

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

JOHN DICKENS, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES BROWN, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. v

, ELECTRIC Gas-LIGHTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DioKENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improveinents in Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what I shall for convenience term an electric gas lighter as.

' is caused to glow or incandesce to obtain the desiredobject. The circuit includes a generator and a resistance for regulating the strength of the current, and this resistance is o'f advantage when a dry battery of one or more cells is employed. When the battery is fresh or new its strength may be sufficient to burn out said platinum body. To avoid this possibility I introduce into the circuit the resistance which reduces the pressure to suchan extent as to prevent injury to said platinum body. In use the battery, of course, is weakened so that when its strength is not sul'licient to cause the platinum body to incandesce I cut out the resistance and secure the same" result as before, namely, the

incandescing 'of the' platinum body. From this it will `be evident that the life of the device is very much longer than would be possible without this relation.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification I 'show in detail one advantageous forni of embodiment of the invention which, to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the same, will be hereinafter fully described, While the novelty of said invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description.

Referring to said drawings Figure V1 is a diagiaininatic elevation of an electric gas lighter l involving-my invention. Fig.v 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the same. Fig.3 is a top plan viewof the device. Fig.

' 4 is a like view of a supporting spring. Fig.

5 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the device showing the resistance in use. Fig. 6 is a like view with the resistance cut out.

Specification of Letters Patent. Appiimion filed pai 2. 1907. serai No. 366,037.

and metal thimble 6.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

lFig. 7 is a detail viewin perspective of a hood.

The figures, as will be clear, are on different scales, for instance, the scale of Fig. 2 is larger than that of Fig. 1, While Figs. 5 and 6 are on a different scale than the otherfigures.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

The device preferably includes in its makeup a hollow or tubular body as 2 which may be made of any suitable material suoli as straw-board, paper, or the like ordinarily I covered with some fabric. This tubular body 2 constitutes in the present case a handle for the ready manipulationof the instrument, and it incases a suitable generator such as a battery consisting of several dry cells. While I may employ any desired number of cells, I "prefer to vemploy three each being denoted by'3 as they are of similarconstruction. The cells 3 are suitably su ab y mounted upon a spring as 4 of coilvform, the terminal wliirls of which are transversely offset as at 5, the upper offset portion 5 making electrical contact with the base of the lowermost cell, while the lower offset 5 makes electrical contact with the convexed upper surface of the tliimble 6, which closes the lower end of the said tubular body 2 and which is of some conducting material such as sheet metal. This thimble or base cap 6 can be connected with the atubular body 2 in any desirable way. By

offsetting the terminal whirls ofthe spriner 4 I insure an effective electrical Contact etween the same and the lowest battery celll 3 By conveXing the upper surface of the latter I prevent the accumulation of foreign matter at the v, place where the spring and tliiinble contact'so asto insure a roper connection therebetween.

The tubu ar body 2 is equipped with a removable metal cap or cover 7, which referably has a threaded engagement wit said body sothat, by taking off the cap or cover; access can be had to the interior of the said body. The capor cover 7 is shown as furnished with a vtubular extension as 8 represented as provided with a removable perforated tip as 9 preferably in screw-threaded engagement with the tube 8 and in leffect forming a part of the same. This tip 9 and tube 8 are of metal, the former inclosing the conducting inember 10 While the latter inperimposed and the lowest one is prefercloses the conducting member 11, the two conducting members 10 and 11 being insulated from the' tip and tube by insulating material designated in each case by 12. The conducting member 10 contacts when the parts are assembled with the conducting member 11, and the-latter in turn contacts with the upper pole of the uppermost cell 3 as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. There is shown as connected with the upper end of the conducting member 10 a coil 13, the coil being also united electrically with the metal tip 9. It should be understood that the cap 7lits a metallic band as 14 around the upper end of the tubular body 2, and this band 1.4

is re resented as carrying a switch as 15A whic may consist of a s rlng arm riveted or otherwise suitably attac led to said metallic band 14. The said switch or circuit-con- .trollcr 15 is shown asfurnished with a contact member as 16 consisting of a screw tapped therethrough between the ends thereof and which screw serves to close the electric circuit involving the platinum coil 13 when the generator or battery of cells '3 is at its maximum strength, the inner end of the screw for this purpose engaging the contact 17. There is a secondcontact 18, the function of which will hereinafter be explained. Between the contacts 17 and 18 and connected with each of them there is interposed a resistance 19. The contact 18 may consist simply' of the upper end of the strip 20 extending longitudinally of the tubular body 2and connected at its lower end electrically with the thimbl'e 6. This strip 20, except the upper end thereof which presents te contact 18, may be covered by the external fabric of the tubular body 2. When the battery is fresh the resistance 19 should be in circuit, and, to prevent the free end of the switch or springV arm 15 engaging the contact 18 at this time, said free endinay be provided with a removable sleeve as 21 of some non-conducting material such as rubber or some suitable composition, for, although under some conditions the ee end of said arm 15 should directly engage the contact 18, this is not the normal operation or that which follows when the battery or generator -f is fresh or new.

The contact member 16, as will be obvious, is adjustable so that the'switch arm 15 can be manipulated without carrying said contact member 16 against the contact 17, this occurring when the resistance 19 is to bel cut out or when the battery is weakened. When the battery isl fresh, however, contact memf ber 16 should engage the contact member 17. In Figs. 2 and 5 the contact member or screw 16 is 1n all the 'way so that, when the s rin arm 1 5 is pressed in, the inner flattened) and enlarged end of the screw can strike'the contact 17, thereb closing the circuit involving the battery an the platinum member 13, by

cells I have four and one-half volts.

body, and a switc reason of which the latter will be caused to low. When the strength of the battery has een decreasedA or the pressure of the current reduced, it will not be Apossible to light the platinum member 13 when the resistance 19 1s in the circuit, and in'that case it is necessary to cut out the resistance, and I refer also that at this .time the contact mem er or screw 16 should not engage the contact 17. To obtain this result, therefore, the screw 16 is run out or turned in the direction it would be to unscrew it from the s ring arm 15 or until the inner enlarged en( of the screw is adjacent to the inner surface ol' the said spring arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The protective non-conducting piece 21 `is also removed as shown in said Fig. 6, by reason of which, when the spring arm 15 is pressed in, the free end thereof will engage against the contact 18 or the upper ond olvthc strip 20,

while the screw -16 will not engage the contact I confines suflicient gas therein to insure ignition. thereof when the incandesced body 13 is brought in the range of such gas.

While I may use any desired number of battery cells, I prefer touse three, which are supposed to be initially each of ten amperes and one and one-half volts. While the voltage multiplies with a plurality of cells, the amperage does not, so that with the three -I there.- fore get an increased pressure at the start by utilizing three cells. I regulate the higher pressurel at the inception by the employment of a rheostat which reduces the pressure to such an extent that no injury can result to the platinum body. In use the batteries decrease in amperage and voltage. The decreased pressure, then is not sufficient to incandesce the platinum body so that, when this decrease 1s indicated, I cut out the resistance as in the manner indicated and can still cause the' platinum body to glow.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric Gas lighter', the combination of a hollow bod an electric circuit operatively associated with the body and includin a resistance, an incandescible body and a Iiattery, the battery being inclosed by said hollow body, and means also associated either the resistance in'or out of the same.

2.. In an electric gas lighter, the combina'- tion of a tubular body, an electric circuit associated with said bod and including a resistance, an incandesci le body, and a battery, the battery bein inclosed by said tubucarried by the body tory, the battery being inclosedby said tubu- V lar body, and a spring switch connected with the body and provided with means for closing the circuit with either the resistance 1n or ont of the same.

4. In an electric gas lighter, the combination of ahollow body, an electric circuit associated with said body and including a resistance, an incandescible body and a battery, the battery being inclosed by said hollow body, and a switch connected with the body exteriorly thereof and provided with a contact member adapted to close said circuit with the resistance therein, said contact member being adjustable to permit the switch to close the circuit without the use of said adjustable contact member and with said resistance out out.

5. In an electric gas lighter, the combination of a hollow body, an electric circuit including a resistance, two contacts with which the resistance is connected, an incandescible body, and a battery, the battery being inclosed by said hollow body, and a switch supported eXteriorly of the body and provided with an adjustable contact member for engaging one of said contacts to close the circuit with the resistance therein, the switch itself serving to' engage the other contact to cut out the resistance, and the contact member being adjustable to carry it out of engagemeit with its cooperative contact member at w1 i 6. In an electric gas lighter, the combination of a tubular body, a battery in said tubular body, an incandescible member electrically connected with the battery, a switch electrically connected with the incandescible member, a contact, a resistance member connected lwith said contact, a strip extending longitudinally of the tubular body, electrically con-- nected with the .battery at one end and terminating 1n a contact at the other endelectrically connected with said resistance, and a screw constituting a contact member adjustably carried by said switch and adapted when in one adjustment to engage the iirst mentioned contact on the manipulation of the switch and, when in another adjustment, to not engage said iii-'st mentioned contact, the switch on said second adjustment being adapted to engage the second contact.

7. In van electric gas lighter, the combination of a tubular body, a battery in said tubular body, an incande'scible member electrically connected with the battery, a switchconsisting of a spring arm fastened to said tubular body eXteriorly thereof and electrically connected with the incandescible member, a contact, a resistance member connected with said contact, a strip extending longitudinally of the tubular body, electrically connected with the battery at oneend and terminating in a contact atthe other end electrically connected with said resistance, and a screw constituting a contact member adjustably carried by said switch and adapted when in one adjustment to engage the first mentioned contact on the manipulation of the switch and, when in another adjustment, to not engage said first mentioned contact, theswitch on said second adjustment being adapted to engage the second contact.

8. In an electric gas lighter, the combination of a tubular body provided with a metallic thimble constituting a base therefor, the upper side of the thimble beingconvexed, a battery in the tubular body, a spring between the batteryiand saidthimble, the terminal whirls of the spring being laterally offset and making contact with the battery and thimble respectively, an ineandescible body, and electrical connections between the battery and-the incandescible body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit-' DGSSQS.

JOHN DICKENS.

Witnesses:

JAMES BROWN, WM. KERZ. 

